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Aruba Switches vs Extreme VDX [EOL] comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Switches
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
88
Ranking in other categories
Ethernet Switches (1st)
Extreme VDX [EOL]
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

Aneesh K - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Solution Analyst II at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Has supported dynamic user segmentation and centralized management across campus networks
The best features of Aruba Switches are their stability and reliability. Hardware failures are rare because the switches have been running for years, and it is uncommon to encounter hardware issues or impacting bugs. From an operational perspective, Aruba Switches are stable and easy to configure through centralized management solutions. Initially managed through AirWave and now through Central, the configuration can be managed easily with audit records and visibility to switch health and other parameters. Another advantage is that Aruba Switches work seamlessly with ClearPass as a NAC server. This integration allows for dynamic policies, dynamic downloadable user roles, and enables seamless segmentation of users for network security. The real-time analytics provided by Aruba Switches for network efficiency are valuable when needed. All information visible in the analytics dashboard is truly helpful. With Aruba Central's migration to AI capability, additional value is being provided, offering more information and making troubleshooting easier with user-friendly features where you can search for anything and receive relevant results.
Osama Ahmed LUBBAD - PeerSpot reviewer
Systems Support Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
A stable, scalable, and problem-free solution
Software needs to be updated regularly in order to maintain security and performance. However, in some cases, it is necessary to stack switches in order to meet the needs of the network. Although Cisco switches are able to stack, other switches are not as simple to stack. I would like the ability to stack with different switch brands.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"We use all the features of Aruba Switches and find it very helpful."
"In the hotel sector, IGMP 3 is particularly valuable for IPTV."
"These switches have a good performance, and they are also quickly configurable."
"Aruba switches are pretty good; they are robust, and they do pretty much everything that Cisco is doing."
"Overall, this is a good, solid tool."
"Aruba has an advantage over their competitors because they specialize in delivery, which means they don't have the long delivery times that Cisco and others quote."
"Aruba's SameNet platform allows for a seamless transition from the data center to access switches, unlike Cisco, which has different operating systems for each."
"It can scale well."
"The fabric of the solution and the management aspect are the solution's most valuable features."
"Its simplicity and web interface were most valuable. I also liked the two-factor authentication."
"The most valuable feature of Extreme VDX is that we have had no problems and the solution's performance is excellent."
 

Cons

"They should provide training courses for certification, and have it available on the internet."
"I am forced to consider changing products because other solutions have a better dashboard and a user-friendly interface."
"The cost of the solution could be improved. Before it became Aruba, it was a cheaper product."
"Aruba Switches don't need licenses to activate features and work straight out of the box, which is an advantage over some competitors. This implies less room for complaints compared with other solutions."
"The only improvement I can really see is that maybe they could get more competitive price-wise."
"It would be better and easier for us to buy if the price were reduced."
"We've had issues with availability."
"The power supplies are generally susceptible to power fluctuations and failure due to these fluctuations."
"Its scalability is quite limited. We had four buildings merging into one building, and scalability was probably the reason why they didn't proceed with buying more Brocade switches and routers."
"The only problem is that at the moment it's an Extreme product and Extreme is not really pushing it. They have to make up for weak innovation and I'm not sure if they want to do that."
"Its scalability can be better. If possible, it can have Hyper POE. I am not sure if there is a fiber version."
"I don't know if the solution has a future because the company doesn't seem to be investing in updates or improvements."
"I would like the ability to stack with different switch brands."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cost-wise, you get some good savings as compared to Cisco."
"The price is reasonable."
"Aruba switches cost between $500 and $600 more than similar products by Huawei, as well as many other brands."
"Aruba Switches has a lifetime warranty on the solution and after five years the solution will be at its end of life."
"The tool is a little expensive for customers from other countries."
"Pricing for this product is reasonable."
"Our customers may want better pricing but we are a reseller and a partner, and the pricing that we get is good."
"There is a license to use the solution."
"It was around $1500 a year. It is cheaper than Cisco but more expensive than Ruckus."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Construction Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Computer Software Company
7%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business50
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise22
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Switches?
In terms of pricing for Aruba Switches, I would rate it a five. They are quite expensive devices.
What needs improvement with Aruba Switches?
Technology is constantly advancing, and although more security is always needed, our networks are still old, so we mostly need to modernize our installations. Regarding integration capabilities, th...
What is your primary use case for Aruba Switches?
Aruba Switches are used in our organization for a straightforward purpose. We started with the HP line, and when Aruba came into the picture, we began using them for our network infrastructure. The...
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Also Known As

8400 Series, 8320 Series, 5400R Series, 3810 Series, 2930M Series, 2930F Series, 2920 Series, 2540 Series, 2530 Series
VDX, Brocade VDX
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Purdue University
Niagra Falls Bridge Commission, Medien System Partner, CDE Lightband, MaximumASP
Find out what your peers are saying about Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cisco, Arista and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: August 2026.
909,647 professionals have used our research since 2012.